Dual configurable distribution nurse system

ABSTRACT

A nurse receiver header for an agricultural planting implement is cooperable with a nurse mechanism that conveys seeds entrained in an air stream from a central hopper. A receiver is positioned at the planting mechanism to receive the seeds entrained in the air stream and accumulate a supply of seeds for utilization by the associated planting mechanism. The receiver header includes a plurality of legs and a rotatable baffle positioned internally at an uppermost position of at least one leg of the receiver header. The baffle is pivoted by an external lever that is positioned in the same orientation as the baffle to indicate the position of the baffle. The header can be placed in a closed configuration by positioning the baffle across the leg to be blocked. When in an open configuration, the baffle is positioned parallel to the leg and all of the legs of the header are open.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to planters or air seeders forplanting seeds in the ground in an agricultural environment. Inparticular, the present invention relates to a nurse inductor systemco-operable with a planter mechanism to feed seed or other particulatematerial to a planting mechanism for insertion of that material into theground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As the size of agricultural implements continues to grow, theversatility of such implements becomes more significant. Large airseeders have become increasingly popular for the planting of seeds,fertilizer, and other product without strict regard for the exactplacement of the seeds particles. For crop planting operations thatrequire seed singulation, nurse systems are used to feed seed or otherparticles from larger hoppers into smaller reservoirs located at thesingulation meters. A nurse inductor system enables an air carttypically used for dryland farming (cereal crops, etc.), to be adaptedfor use in row crop planting applications, such as corn and soybean,though not limited to soybean and corn. A nurse inductor system alongwith a central fill hopper can be used to enable a farmer to plant moreacres before having to stop to fill the planter, resulting in quickerplanting and less labor, while maintaining the precision spacingavailable by on-row singulation.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,473, a nurse system is disclosed which works offa specialized cart. The air comes into the seed delivery area coaxialwith the seed tube that takes the air and seed to the row units. Withthis system substantial energy is used to nurse the seed since the airchanges direction abruptly. This particular nurse system provides adedicated fan to feed the 12 rows to be planted from the nurse system.This system requires the adding or removing of shims to adjust fordifferent line length, which is difficult and inconvenient toaccomplish.

In September, 2002, Deere and Company introduced a planter with acentral nurse system configured with one line to fill on-rowmini-hoppers. The planter has a 12/23 row configuration, thus, whenplanting 12 rows, 13 of the rows must be plugged at the mini-hoppers. Toplug the mini-hoppers, a special plug is placed in the non-active lines.However, these removable plugs must be stored by the operator when notin use, and can be easily lost or misplaced.

Another example of a nurse system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,161,102 to Kongskilde. This nurse system distributes grain from acentral hopper to a number of smaller hoppers. A metering device on eachsmall hopper delivers to a number of seed boots. In this particularsystem, the operator is able to shut off one of the meter rollersindependent of the other meter rollers, and is therefore able to stopthe rotation of one section on the roller independent of the others.However, this system does not permit the operator to shut off thedelivery to any of the nurse lines independently. U.S. Pat. No.4,060,181, U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,652, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,067 teachother nurse embodiments with varying problems.

It is therefore desirable to provide a nurse inductor system thatovercomes the disadvantages of the known prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to providea nurse inductor system co-operable with a planter mechanism to feedseed or other particulate material to a planting mechanism for insertionof that material into the ground.

It is another object of this invention to provide a nurse inductorsystem operable for use with planters requiring singulation of the seedsfor planting in the ground.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a nurseinductor system that can be easily switched from one crop spacing toanother.

It is a feature of this invention that the nurse inductor system enablesthe use of an existing air cart for nursing individual planter units ina passive manner.

It is another feature of this invention that replacement of existingcomponents on a conventional air cart with nurse induction components,to convert the standard air cart without requiring permanentmodifications to the cart.

It is yet another feature of the present invention that in the header,the unoperational unit is not filled with seed.

It is another advantage of this invention that the induction of seed orother particulate product is accomplished more evenly and consistently,thereby reducing the possibility of a plugging of the lines.

It is still another advantage of this invention that a plantingimplement can be configured with respect to the number of rows to beutilized without requiring removable pieces that can be lost ormisplaced.

It is a further advantage of this invention that the farmer can quicklyverify the crop spacing on the distribution header.

It is yet another feature of this invention that bridging in the hopperside of the induction unit is avoided by increasing the room forparticulate material to flow.

It is still another advantage of this invention that the air pressureand flow required by the nurse induction system is reduced, so that theexisting fan on an air cart can be used for both nurse induction ofseeds and the application of particles from one of more other air carthopper(s) at the same time.

It is still another feature of this invention that the wings of theplanter toolbar can be folded without the need to empty particles out ofthe planter seed reservoir before folding.

It is yet another advantage of this invention that the planter can befolded with the wings pivoted closer to the first row unit on the wingsection of the planter row unit without interference between the planterseed reservoirs.

It is yet another advantage of this invention that more than one plantersingulator can be fed with one nurse inductor line, thus enabling thedevelopment of a wider planter toolbar with substantially more planterunits than previously available.

It is a further advantage of this invention that the nurse inductormechanism can be used on an air cart that may also be used in drylandfarming.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide nurse inductormechanism for an agricultural seeding implement which is durable inconstruction, inexpensive of manufacture, carefree of maintenance,facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use.

These and other objects, features, and advantages are accomplishedaccording to the present invention by providing a nurse receiver headerfor an agricultural planting implement which is cooperable with a nursemechanism that conveys a stream of seeds entrained in an air stream froma central hopper. A receiver is positioned at the planting mechanism toreceive the seeds entrained in the air stream and accumulate a supply ofseeds for utilization by the associated planting mechanism. The receiverheader includes a plurality of legs and a rotatable baffle positionedinternally at an uppermost position of at least one leg of the receiverheader. The baffle is pivoted by an external lever that is positioned inthe same orientation as the baffle to indicate the position of thebaffle. The header can be placed in a closed configuration bypositioning the baffle across the leg to be blocked. When in an openconfiguration, the baffle is positioned parallel to the leg and all ofthe legs of the header are open.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of theinvention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of thedetailed description that follows, in conjunction with the accompanyingsheets of drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that thedrawings are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed asdefining the limits of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration ofthe following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a typical air seeder mechanism onwhich a nurse induction mechanism incorporating the principles of theinstant invention is mounted;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the nurse induction systemdepicted in FIG. 1, the arrows depicting the direction of air flowthrough the mechanism;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the nurseinduction mechanism shown in FIG. 2 to depict the flow of air and seedthrough the uppermost seed distribution tubes leading to the plantingmechanism, the arrows depicting the direction of air flow through themechanism;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view similar to that ofFIG. 3 except depicting the flow of air and seed through the lowermostseed distribution tubes to the corresponding planting mechanism, thearrows depicting the direction of air flow through the mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the divider wall portion of the nurseinduction apparatus to depict the divider walls separating the uppermostand lowermost seed distribution tubes;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the particle hopper side of the nurseinduction unit, with the exterior induction box wall removed, the nursedistribution lines being oriented in vertical pairs to leave open spacebetween the lines for the seed particles to pass through;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the outlet side of the nurse inductionunit seen from the exterior of the apparatus;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a typical planting mechanismadapted for operative association with a parallel nurse system depictedin FIG. 1 and incorporating the principles of the instant receiverheader invention, the side wings of the planting mechanism being foldedupwardly relative to the central section to place the planting mechanismin a transport position;

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the planting mechanism depicted inFIG. 8 except with the side wing sections being folded down into anoperative position;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged elevational view of the nurse system receiverapparatus corresponding to the circled mechanism within FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the nurse system receiverassembly;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged front elevational view of the nurse systemreceiver assembly shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged side elevational view of the nurse systemreceiver assembly shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of a nurse system receiver headerassembly of the present invention in a narrow row configuration;

FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of a nurse system receiver headerassembly of the present invention in a wide row configuration;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a nurse system receiver header assemblyof the present invention in a wide row configuration;

FIG. 17 is an elevational view of a nurse system receiver headerassembly of the present invention in a wide row configuration;

FIG. 18 is an end view of a nurse system receiver header assembly of thepresent invention in a wide row configuration;

FIG. 19 is a front elevational view of a planting mechanism adapted foroperative association with a series nurse system and incorporating theprinciples of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged partial schematic of a series nurse systemincorporating the principles of an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 21 is an enlarged perspective view of a nurse system receiverheader assembly for use in the series nurse system shown in FIG. 19.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring first to FIGS. 1-4, the principles of the nurse inductionapparatus can best be seen. The nurse inductor 20 enables the use of astandard air cart 10 for both the central hopper and the nurse systemair source. The air cart fan can be used for both fertilizing andnursing operations simultaneously. The inductor 20 can be designed in anadapter arrangement which enables the air cart 10 to be readilyconverted from a roller type volumetric metering system to the nurseinductor system, and vice versa. Such nurse mechanisms are described in,e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,289,830, 6,298,797, and 6,267,067, to Mayerle etal., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

The nurse induction adapter is mounted on a conventional air seeder orair cart, and redirects the air stream 13 coming from the fan 11 in anair cart meter box 16 into a path that leads through the nurse inductor20. The air stream is guided into a nozzle region 30 that directs theair along a flow path that tangentially engages a pile of seed particlesS exiting the opening 19 at the bottom of the seed hopper 12. Theturbulence of the blast of air from the nozzle 30 loosens the seedparticles from this assemblage of seed particles S exiting the opening19 in the bottom of the seed hopper 12, entraining the individual seedparticles into the air stream as it follows a path to the distributionlines 22 above the seed particle pile. The individual seed particlesremain suspended in the air stream where the air bleeds off and theindividual seed particles fall by gravity into a second pile or mass atthe planting mechanism.

As best seen in FIGS. 3-7, the air stream 13 through the nurse inductorapparatus 20 is split at the general location of the seed particle massat the bottom of the central seed hopper 12 on the air cart 10 intoindividual sections 31 that are isolated by generally vertical walls 32.Each individual section 31 leads to a different seed distribution tube22 and, ultimately, to a different receiver header 45 and associatedreceivers 40. The nurse inductor 20 induces seed particles into the airstream when and where there is demand for the particles. The demand forparticles is controlled by the level of product in each respectivereceiver header on the output end of the seed distribution tube. Insmaller planting systems, the primary nurse lines 22 run directly to thereceivers 40 without benefit of a receiver header 45. The nurse inductor20 induces seed particles into the air stream when and where there isdemand for the particles. The demand for particles is controlled by thelevel of product in each respective receiver 40 or receiver header 45 onthe output end of the seed distribution tube. When the receiver header45 is full, air is restricted from escaping from the seed distributiontube by the massed seed particles within the seed distribution tube. Asa result of the filled receiver header 45, which prevents the passage ofair there through, the air flow and air velocity reduce due to increasedpressurization of the line. This resultant reduction in potential airpressure reduces the capacity of the flow of air to induce the seedparticles into the corresponding seed distribution tube 22. Since theflow of air through the nurse inductor 20 is spread across the entireunit, the flow of air will tend to go to the lines that have openreceivers because of the less airflow resistance.

The divider walls 32, that separate the air and entrained seed particleflows to each respective seed distribution tube 22, are sealed such thatair cannot get into the seed distribution tubes 22 downstream of thepickup area. The sealed vertical walls 32 also prevent cross over of airand entrained seed to different seed distribution tubes 22. Thisdivision of airflow enhances operation since each line is operable torun at different times, depending on demand as represented by the massedseed particles in the output end of the seed distribution tubes 22.

The shape of the air and entrained seed particle flow path has an impacton the performance of the inductor. When the receiver 40 or receiverheader 45 is filled, only a small volume of air flows through thereceiver and seed delivery is stopped. Air is still capable of travelingthrough the lines, through the massed seed particles, and past the seedparticles at the vent. If seed particles were to be allowed to beinduced into the lines with airflows that are less than carryingvelocity, a blocking of the seed distribution tubes 22 can occur. Thisproblem of blocking the seed distribution tube 22 can be avoided byforming the portion of the inductor structure, just above the areaadjacent to the bottom of the central seed hopper where the individualseed particles are entrained into the airflow, larger so that the airvelocity slows down in this region.

With the slowed air velocity, any seed particles that had been entrainedinto the slow flowing air stream fall out of the airflow and are droppedback into the seed particle mass region. Thus, the seed particles arepicked up and carried by the air stream only when the air velocity isabove the minimum carry velocity, thereby allowing air to be flowingslowly without transporting any entrained seed particles into the fullseed distribution tube. Correspondingly, the cross-sectional area of theseed distribution tubes is smaller than the cross-sectional area betweenthe generally vertical walls dividing the plenum into discreet channels.As a result, the air velocity increases once entering the seeddistribution tube, allowing the seed particle to be retained within theair stream once it enters the seed tube.

The regulator 25 for the flow of seed particles into the area forentrainment within the air stream is defined by a movable gate 29forming a common edge along which seed particles flow into the particlepick-up area. The product regulator 25 extends across the entire nurseinduction apparatus 20. As the seed particles flow under the productregulator, the seed particles form a pile falling naturally at the angleof repose of the seed particles. The angled surface of the pile of seedparticles forms the bottom wall of the air channel in the pick-up area.The proximity of the air nozzle 30 to the wall of product affects theamount of product carried in the air stream. As the regulator 25 isrotated and more or less product is permitted to pass through theopening 19 a at the bottom of the central seed hopper 12, the seedparticles fall either closer to or farther from the air nozzle 30. Sincedifferent products, such as different seed types, have properties thataffect how easily the air stream picks them up, as well as thedifferences in the angle of repose at which the products slump, theideal distance between the product surface and the air nozzle varieswith the product being distributed. The product regulator 25 isadjustable to enable the optimum distance to be set for each producttype, as well as the desired flow rate.

As the air stream 13 strips the product away close to the bottom of theproduct regulator 25, product from the hopper 12 replenishes the createdcavity. The closer to the bottom of the regulator 25 the product isstripped away, the more quickly the product is replenished. Thus, whenthe regulator 25 is positioned correctly for the specific type ofproduct being nursed, the induction of product into the air stream isrelatively steady. During testing, it was found that steady induction ofproduct into the air stream reduced plugging problems within thedistribution tubes 22 while maximizing product delivery efficiency.

The product regulator 25 is located on the hopper side of the inductionbox so that it does not interfere with the seal of the divider walls 32.The product regulator 25 is formed as a single crescent shaped plate 29that extends across the entire width of the induction unit 20. Theregulator plate 29 is attached to a shaft that is rotated by an externalhandle 28. Thus, the flow of product across the induction box iscontrolled with the adjustment of a single handle 28. As a result, theflow rate of seed particles can be controlled for all of the tubes 22simultaneously, and can be completely shut-off to permit clean-outduring which process the air will still be guided through thedistribution tubes 22 without carrying seed particles. The rotatableregulator plate 29 can be adapted easily for remote control byappropriate actuators connected to the regulator 25. Such aconfiguration is particularly advantageous in precision farmingpractices, as the flow of seed particles through the seed distributiontubes 22 can be turned on and off easily. Alternatively, the inductorbox 20 could be configured to control the flow of air through the nozzle30 instead of the flow of seeds.

The generally vertical divider walls 32 are constructed such that thenurse inductor apparatus is made in pair segments that are stacked tofit the width of the induction box. The vertical nature of this modulardesign allows the inductor apparatus to be compact. The modularity ofsuch a design allows the nurse inductor to be easily adapted todifferent widths and numbers of product lines, including a compactinduction box width having a large number of product lines. To allowmore space on the particle hopper side of the inductor unit, thedistribution tubes 22 forming the outlet pipes are stacked in verticalpairs. The additional space between outlet pipes reduces bridging of theparticles as they flow past the pipes and into the region of the productregulator 25. Each distribution tube 22 is independent. The walls 32dividing the distribution tubes are curved to direct the air andentrained seed particle stream as shown in FIG. 5. The air and entrainedseed make relatively small directional changes in the inductorapparatus, which improves the efficiency of the air system. Thisefficiency enables both the nursing of more than 12 rows and the use ofthe second air cart tank for simultaneous fertilizer operations.

Alternatively, the nurse induction unit 20 is adaptable for use with astand-alone tank, as well as for with an air cart. Furthermore, thenurse induction unit 20 can also be adaptable to other planter units. Asbest seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the nurse induction apparatus is preferablyformed as a modular unit that can be inserted into a standard air cartstructure to convert the air cart from a straight meter box into a nurseinduction box. The conventional air delivery tubes 17 are sealed andremain on the air cart 10, while the nurse induction unit 20 isinterposed to receive the air stream 13 from the fan 11. A connectionmechanism 16 facilitates the convenient connection of the nurse unit 20to the air cart 10 as a modular component.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is notlimited to the conveyance of seed particles, as other particulate matteris commonly distributed through an air cart system, such as fertilizer.Furthermore, the typical air cart 10 is provided with multiple hoppersor tanks containing different product to be planted in the ground. Onetank could have seed stored therein, while another tank would havefertilizer and yet another tank could have herbicides or still anotherreservoir of fertilizer. In such multi-tank configurations, one of thetanks could be provided with a nurse induction unit 20 to convey seedsto the planting devices, while a conventional meter box is used tocontrol the flow of fertilizer or other product to the planting devicesby separate distribution tubes. Such a conventional meter box couldapply the fertilizer or other product at a variable rate and could becontrolled by an electronic controller, as is known for precisionfarming techniques. Other alternative configurations can include onetank nursing seed to all the singulators, as well as multiple tanksnursing seeds to any one particular singulator.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-18, the nurse system receiver 40 and receiverheader 45 can best be seen. The receiver 40 and receiver header 45 areused in conjunction with the nurse inductor system 20, such as the onedescribed above. One skilled in the art will recognize that the header45 is needed in configurations where the flow is to be split betweenmultiple receivers. The nurse inductor 20 sends an air and entrainedparticle stream to the receiver header 45 when the receiver header 45has less than a desired level of product particles in it. The receiverheader 45 is designed to allow air from the air and entrained particlestream to escape when the particle level is below the air vent 50, butto limit the amount of air to escape when the particle level is abovethe air vent 50.

The nurse line 22 leading to the header 45 is smaller than the lines 42between the header and the receiver 40 to reduce the velocity of the airflow at the receiver header 45, thus allowing the entrained seedparticles to drop out of the air stream and fall by gravity to thereceiver 40. To stop particle blocking in the nurse line 22, thereceiver header 45 is mounted such that the inlet line 48 is alwaysvertically above the outlet lines 42, regardless of the position of theimplement. Moreover, the header 45 never inverts, so the seed particlesstay in the receivers 40 when the implement is moved between operatingand transport positions.

In operation, the seeds are massed in the receiver 40 and in the line 42from the receiver 40 up to the receiver header 45, which is formed oftwo legs 46, 47 in fluid communication with an inlet line 48. As shownin FIG. 14, a rotatable baffle 63A is located in the header Y to enablean operator to close off one leg of the header 45. The baffle can beoperated in the header 45 by an external lever 63 that is pivotable at apivot 61. The external lever 63 is positioned in the same orientation asthe baffle. Therefore, the position of the external lever 63 alsodesignates the position of the rotatable baffle. If the operator desiresboth legs of the header 45 to be operational, such as for narrow rowplantings, e.g., 15 inches apart, the header 45 can be placed into theopen configuration by positioning lever 63 such that it is parallel withleg 47. In the open configuration, the seed particles are directed intoboth leg 46 and leg 47 of the header 45.

The receiver 40, as best seen in FIGS. 11-13, provides a small mass ofseeds in the location of the singulator meter's pickup area 41. In theopen configuration, when the seeds are accumulated up to the top of oneleg, e.g., leg 46, they block the flow of air through the air vent 50near the header bottom. When the air does not flow freely through theair vent 50, the flow of seeds from the nurse inductor unit diminishes.Only the small flow of air that can escape through the seeds and vent 50will continue to flow. This airflow is too low to entrain or pick upseeds.

If only one leg is full, seeds will continue to be nursed into the emptyleg, e.g., leg 47, until the air vent 50 is covered in the second leg.Then, the airflow to the header 45 will drop off and seeds will not besent in the nurse line 22 until such a time that one of the receivers 40empties the receiver header 45 below the air vent 50. The vent hood 52makes a roof over the vent 50 to allow the air to be vented out andguard against rain and contaminants getting in. The orientation of thereceiver header 45 always keeps the hood 52 opening facing down, evenwhen the toolbar is rotated into the transport configuration. In analternative embodiment, the vent and rain guard may be incorporateddirectly into the receiver design if a separate header is not desirable.

Alternatively, if the operator desires to plant in wide rows, e.g., 30inches apart, the rotatable baffle 63A can placed into the closedconfiguration by positioning the external lever 63 such that it ispositioned across leg 47. As discussed above, the position of theexternal lever 63 indicates the position of the rotatable baffle 63A. Inthis closed configuration, all of the seed flowing from the receiver 40is directed into leg 46 of the header 45. By blocking the flow of air toleg 47, seeds are not unnecessarily placed in an unoperational unit.

As shown in FIGS. 14-16, the lever 63 on the outside of the header 45 isdesigned to allow only one leg of the header 45 to be shut off. However,the header 45 can be mounted on either the top or the bottom surface toallow either the left or right side (i.e., leg 46 or 47) to becontrolled. Furthermore, because lever 63 indicates the position of therotatable baffle 63A in the header 45, the operator can quickly goacross the implement and determine the baffle position for appropriateseed placement into the field (i.e., narrow or wide rows), or quicklychange from a narrow seed placement to a wide seed placement and viceversa.

It should be noted that although a two legged header is describedherein, other embodiments of the receiver header 45 would use the headerin triple or other variations. For example, the triple configurationwould be similar to the double configuration described above with theaddition of another leg and another baffle.

A preferred embodiment for use with smaller planters using a paralleldistribution system (i.e., where a primary nurse line runs directly to areceiver) includes an internally reconfigured inductor box so that seedcannot be picked up and delivered to inactive receivers, singulatormeters, or row units. An internal baffle covers the entry to theinactive rows, thereby preventing the product to be picked up. Anexternal lever corresponding to the internal baffle position allows theoperator to determine the operational position. Because one leveradjusts the position/operation of many lines, there is only one simple,central adjustment necessary to activate or inactivate rows.

In a second preferred embodiment for use with smaller planters using aparallel distribution system, a valve, such as a ball valve, is locatedon distribution tubes associated with inactive rows during wide rowplanting to stop airflow in the tube. Typically, the ball valve isactuated by a lever. When the valve is closed, air is not permitted toflow through the distribution tube, and, as a result, no seed isdelivered to the receiver header and associated receiver. Because airand entrained seed is not permitted to flow through a particulardistribution tube, the seed cannot enter the tube or plug the tube. Thelever on the ball valve serves as an indicator for the operator toquickly determine whether the distribution tube is open or closed.

Referring now to FIGS. 19-21, an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention for use in a series planting system can best be seen. In aseries planting system, as shown in FIGS. 19-20, a single primary line50 directs seed to an entire row of receiver headers 55. The headers areformed of a first leg 56 and a second leg 57 in fluid communication withan outlet line 58. When narrow row spacing is desired, a baffle 59located at the interface of legs 56 and 57 and outlet line 58 is in anopen configuration where the baffle 59 is positioned by an externallever (not shown) to a position parallel with the outlet line 58 (shownin phantom). The baffle is pivotable about pivot point 66. In this openconfiguration, seed flows from the hopper 51 through the primary line 50to headers 55, where a portion of the seeds flowing through line 50 isdiverted through outlet line 58 and into storage bins 53. Seeds flowinto the bins 53 until all the bins 53 are filled with seed. When all ofthe bins 53 are filled with seed, the operator is able to start plantingon a narrow row spacing.

On the other hand, if an operator wishes to utilize the parallel systemillustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 to plant in wide rows, he simply shutsoff the desired headers 55 by actuating the baffle 59 located in outletline 58 such as by the external lever (not shown) to close off outletline 58. Air and entrained seed is therefore not permitted to flow downthe closed outlet line 58, and will continue down the primary line 50 tothe next header 55.

As described above with respect to the parallel distribution systems,the lever indicates the position of rotatable baffle 59 in the header55. As a result, the operator can quickly determine the baffle positionfor the appropriate placement of product into the field (i.e., narrow orwide rows), or quickly change from a narrow seed placement to a wideseed placement and vice versa.

The invention of this application has been described above bothgenerically and with regard to specific embodiments. Although theinvention has been set forth in what is believed to be the preferredembodiments, a wide variety of alternatives known to those of skill inthe art can be selected within the generic disclosure. The invention isnot otherwise limited, except for the recitation of the claims set forthbelow.

1. In an agricultural planting implement having a frame adapted formovement over the ground, a hopper supported on said frame for carryinga supply of seed, said hopper having a lower portion including adischarge opening through which seed particles pass to exit said hopper;a flow mechanism for creating a flow of air through a conduit; and aremote planting mechanism engageable with the ground for the planting ofseeds therein, the improvement comprising: a nurse mechanism supportedon said hopper to communicate with said discharge opening and saidconduit to receive seeds from said hopper and intercept the flow of aircoming from said flow mechanism and create an air stream through saidnurse mechanism, said nurse mechanism entraining seeds with said airstream for conveyance through a discharge tube in flow communicationwith said nurse mechanism; a receiver at said planting mechanism in flowcommunication with said discharge tube to receive seeds entrained insaid air stream, said receiver accumulating a supply of seeds forutilization by said planting mechanism; a receiver header operativelycoupled with said discharge tube and said receiver to direct seedsentrained in said air stream toward said receiver; and at least onemovable baffle disposed internally of said receiver header and havingfirst and second outlets associated with first and second singulationmeters, the baffle being selectively movable between an open positiondirecting seed delivery through said first and second outlets and asecond position blocking seed delivery from at least one of saidoutlets.
 2. The planting implement of claim 1, wherein the receiverheader has a plurality of legs in fluid communication with an inletline.
 3. The planting implement of claim 2, further comprising anexternal lever connected to said baffle, said external lever beingmovable to effect movement of said baffle and place said header into anopen configuration in which said one leg is not blocked by said baffleand into a closed configuration in which said one leg of said header isblocked by said baffle.
 4. The planting implement of claim 3, whereinsaid baffle is located at an uppermost position in said one leg of saidheader so that substantially all of said one leg is blocked when saidbaffle is orientated in said closed configuration.
 5. The plantingimplement of claim 4, wherein in said open configuration, said baffle ispositioned by said external lever such that it is parallel to said oneleg of said header so that said air stream and said entrained seeds canflow through said one leg.
 6. The planting implement of claim 4, whereinin said closed configuration, said baffle is positioned by said externallever such that it crosses said one leg of said header so that said airstream and said entrained seeds are prohibited from flowing through saidone leg.
 7. The planting implement of claim 4, wherein said externallever indicates the selected position of said movable baffle.
 8. Aplanting implement comprising: a mobile frame adapted for movement overthe ground; a mechanism for creating and channeling a stream of airthrough a conduit; a hopper for carrying a supply of product to bedispensed to the ground, said hopper having a discharge opening for thepassage of said product; a planting mechanism engageable with the groundfor planting product therein; a nurse mechanism supported on said hopperto communicate with said discharge opening and said conduit to receiveproduct from said hopper and intercept the flow of air coming from saidmechanism for creating an air stream through said nurse mechanism, saidnurse mechanism entraining product within said air stream for conveyancethrough a discharge tub in flow communication with said nurse mechanism;a plurality of receivers at said planting mechanism in flowcommunication with said discharge tube to receive product entrained insaid air stream, each said receiver accumulating a supply of product forutilization by said planting mechanism; and a selectively moveableblocking mechanism having a first and second outlet associated with afirst and second of said receivers and being movable between an openposition to direct product to flow through said first and second outletsand a blocking position to block the delivery of said product from atleast one of said outlets.
 9. The planting implement of claim 8, whereinsaid blocking mechanism is operable to block a plurality said receiverssimultaneously.
 10. The planting implement of claim 8, wherein saidblocking mechanism includes a movable baffle positioned internallywithin said at least one receiver and being movable between said openposition and said blocking position.
 11. The planting implement of claim10, further comprising: a receiver header operatively coupled with saiddischarge tube and at least two of said receivers to direct productentrained in said air stream toward said receivers, said receiver headerhaving a leg corresponding to each said receiver and being in flowcommunication with said discharge tube, said baffle being operativelysupported in at least one of said legs.
 12. The planting implement ofclaim 11, further comprising: an external lever operatively coupled tosaid baffle to effect movement thereof, said external lever beingindicative of the selected position of said baffle.
 13. The plantingimplement of claim 12, wherein said baffle is selectively positionableby said external lever into said open position in which said baffle isoriented generally parallel to the corresponding said leg of said headerso that said air stream and said entrained product can flow through saidcorresponding leg, and into said blocking position in which said baffleis oriented across said corresponding leg of said header to prohibitsaid air stream and said entrained product from flowing through saidcorresponding leg.
 14. The planting implement of claim 13, wherein saidexternal lever and said baffle are pivotally mounted on said receiverheader.
 15. The planting implement of claim 14, wherein said baffle ispositioned at an uppermost portion of said corresponding leg to beeffective to block substantially the entirety of said corresponding leg.16. In a planting implement having a frame adapted for movement over theground, a hopper supported on said frame for carrying a supply of seed,said hopper having a lower portion including a discharge opening throughwhich seed particles pass to exit said hopper; a mechanism for creatinga flow of air through a conduit; and a remote planting mechanismengageable with the ground for the planting of seeds therein, theimprovement comprising: a nurse mechanism supported on said hopper tocommunicate with said discharge opening and said conduit to receiveseeds from said hopper and intercept the flow of air coming from saidmechanism for creating an air stream through said nurse mechanism, saidnurse mechanism entraining seeds within said air stream for conveyancethrough a primary line in flow communication with said nurse mechanism;a plurality of receiver headers operatively coupled to a plurality ofstorage bins, said receiver headers each having a plurality of legs influid communication with an outlet line associated with each respectivestorage bin, each receiver header being further coupled to the primaryline and having an air vent that limits a flow rate of said air streamthrough the header depending on a volume of amassed seeds; and a movablebaffle positioned internally of each of said receiver headers andlocated at the interface of at least one of said legs and thecorresponding said outlet line such that said corresponding outlet linecan be blocked by said baffle to prevent the flow of said air stream andsaid entrained seeds into said corresponding outlet line.
 17. Theplanting implement of claim 16, further comprising an external leveroperatively connected to said baffle to effect movement of said baffle,said external lever being selectively movable to position said baffleand place said corresponding outlet line into an open configuration inwhich said corresponding outlet line is not obstructed by said baffleand into a closed configuration in which said corresponding outlet lineis blocked by said baffle.
 18. The planting implement of claim 17,wherein said external lever and said baffle are pivotally mounted onsaid receiver header.
 19. The planting implement of claim 18, whereineach of said legs on each said receiver header is provided with a baffleand an external lever.
 20. The planting implement of claim 19, whereineach said baffle is movable independently of the remaining said baffles.21. The planting implement of claim 18, wherein each said external leveris movable into a position that is indicative of the position of thecorresponding baffle and, thus, indicative of the corresponding outletline being in said open or said closed configuration.
 22. The plantingimplement of claim 16, wherein said baffle is movable between a firstposition that directs the flow of said air stream and said entrainedseeds to an adjacent pair of the plurality of legs, and a secondposition that selectively blocks the flow of said air stream and saidentrained seeds to at least one of said pair of legs.